1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a universal blade adapter useful in, for example, hand-held, reciprocating motion power saws having removable blades. The invention also relates to a method of adapting for use in a particular type of saw, a saw blade designed for use in another type of saw.
2. Description of Related Art
Reciprocating motion power saws with removable blades which move reciprocally in a longitudinal direction are known in the art and include reciprocating saws and jig saws (also called bayonet saws and saber saws). Reciprocating saws are typically more powerful than jig saws. Most reciprocating saws use a standard blade which is sized and configured for use with these saws. Jig saws use one of a number of different blade designs, all of which are typically smaller than reciprocating saw blades. Specifically, the distance from the toothed edge to the back edge of the blade is typically smaller in jig saw blades than in reciprocating saw blades.
It would be advantageous, in certain situations, to use a smaller jig saw blade in a reciprocating saw. The smaller blade would allow smaller radius curves to be cut with the reciprocating saw than is possible with standard reciprocating saw blades. For example, a tradesman may desire to cut a small radius hole in a joist for passing a conduit through the joist. Such a small radius cut made with a reciprocating saw could be facilitated with a smaller blade. Many other applications for using a smaller jig saw blade in a reciprocating saw also are envisioned.
Reciprocating saws, and other similar saws, typically are equipped with a mechanism that clamps or otherwise holds the reciprocating saw blade in position during operation (hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cblade clampxe2x80x9d). These blade clamps enable an operator to remove the blade and replace it with another. A tool sometimes is required to remove and replace the blade, or toolless blade clamps are known to enable easy removal and replacement of the blade. U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,071, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describes one tool-less blade clamp. The blade clamp disclosed in the above-mentioned patent is useful with a saw blade having a standardized shank design. This blade clamp would not work well with saw blades having non-standardized shanks. Moreover, neither the blade clamp described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,071, nor any of the other blade clamps described therein (tool-less or otherwise) are capable of use with other sized blades, such as the smaller blades of jig saws, since the smaller blades are not properly sized or configured for those clamps.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a universal blade adapter that can be used with blades having various shank configurations. It also would be desirable to provide a universal blade adapter that can be used to enable the use of a saw blade designed for a particular type of saw (e.g., a jig saw blade) in a different type of saw (e.g., a reciprocating saw).
It is therefore a feature of an embodiment of the present invention to provide a blade adapter that will allow use of non-standard saw blades in saws. It is further a feature of an embodiment of the present invention to provide a blade adapter that will allow use of smaller jig saw blades in reciprocating saws. It is another feature of an embodiment of the present invention to provide a blade adapter that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture. It is an additional feature of an embodiment of the invention to provide a method of adapting a jigsaw blade for use in a reciprocating saw.
These and other features and advantages of various embodiments of the invention can be achieved by providing a blade adapter for using a saw blade having a shank with a blade clamp having a space for accepting a saw blade shank. The blade adapter includes an end portion with an interior and exterior edge, a first side portion with an interior and exterior edge, and a second side portion with an interior and exterior edge. An exterior perimeter of the blade adapter is formed by the exterior edges of the end portion, the first side portion, and the second side portion. The exterior perimeter is sized to fit inside of the space for accepting a saw blade shank of the blade clamp. The blade adapter further includes an interior perimeter that is formed by the interior edges of the end portion, the first side portion, and the second side portion. The interior perimeter is sized to accept the shank of the saw blade.
Another embodiment of the invention is a method of adapting a reciprocating saw to accept non-standard saw blades. The method includes fitting a blade adapter inside of a space for accepting a saw blade shank of a blade clamp, and fitting a non-standard saw blade inside of an interior perimeter of the blade adapter so that the saw blade is supported by the blade clamp for cutting.
The blade adapter enables the use in a particular saw of a blade designed for use with a different type of saw. The blade adapter also is simple and easy to manufacture, and can be stamped from inexpensive materials such as steel. The blade adapter also enables the use of a variety of jigsaw blades in a reciprocating saw.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments when read in light of the attached drawings.